Wikileaks, the grey zone and the potential for things to get even worse

There has been a bit of media about the Australian guy associated with Wikileaks and it got me thinking that maybe Wikileaks could further the political embrace of what I have, for no particularly good reason, named the ‘grey zone’ – a space between the actual day-to-day happenings in programs and the outcomes these programs report on to government. If governments do not have recordsindicating short comings then they cannot be leaked. I really like the idea of Wikileaks, and seeing it discussed so positively in the media (of course the media LOVES it), has helped me feel less alone in my anger at government spin and the selection bias in media reporting.

In a conversation with my dad I said there seems to be some cause for concern when it comes to the Australian government’s love for managed locally- funded federally projects because it is easier for governments to ignore processes in favour of outcomes, which while it may allow innovation and competition in processes. In other words an awareness of the actual happenings/ experiences at individual sites which call for the funding or overall structure of the program to be reform is able to be ignored. My father very quickly replied with a reference to the schools’ stimulus program, which failed in his opinion because of too many layers of bureaucracy. Yes, I think it is important that people get a say, central planning usually does not work. The schools’ stimulus program was a mess for schools because, I think, the primary motive was to get a quick program off the ground, get the outcomes the government wanted for their glossy brochures and to inject money into certain industries quickly.